Are digital distractions now part of human nature?

Once again something I saw on my screen has become a welcomed distraction. A recent headline in the science journal Nature above a catchy GIF caught my eye: “Are attention spans really shrinking? What the science says.”

As someone obsessed with how we lock in, I was instantly focused on how scientific data might answer that question. Add in a century-old quote from Hugo Gernsback—the eccentric inventor of a wooden isolation helmet designed to block out sound—who noted that outside influences are "the greatest difficulty that the human mind has to contend with," and I was completely hooked. 

The article—which is well worth an undistracted read—explains how psychologists, neuroscientists and researchers have arrived at a nuanced understanding of our attention as we jump from one task to the next. The good news? Your biology isn't broken.

"There is little evidence that the brain's fundamental ability to concentrate has been impaired," the article states. "This suggests that if we can shut down the distractions of our environment, it is possible to recover focus."

Is your head in the game?

That concept of "recovering focus" rings a definitive bell. It’s exactly what any good coach tells an athlete when their mind starts to wander during a game: Get your head back in the play. In my own time coaching youth baseball, I often find myself searching for a specific phrase, action or even a quick breathing exercise to bring a young player back into the present moment.

But is it really as simple as turning off the TV, sleeping with your phone in another room, or refusing to open your email inbox to refocus on the task at hand?

According to the experts, the challenge isn't our hardwiring; it's our routines.

"It's not so much that human biology has changed, it's more a change in habits," University of Missouri Psychologist Nelson Cowan said. "And the question is how reversible those habits are." 

A refocused few days

The science is clear: your brain still has the capacity for deep, meaningful focus. The hardware works perfectly fine; it’s the software of our daily habits that needs an upgrade.

I'm convinced. In the spirit of preserving your attention span and practicing what I preach, I'm keeping this post short. Go out and enjoy a truly focused weekend.